Cost of Living Comparison Between Cafayate and Mar del Plata Cost of Living Comparison Between Cafayate and Mar del Plata

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $928 per month in Cafayate vs $855 in Mar del Plata, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,504 per month in Cafayate vs $1,426 in Mar del Plata, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,080 per month in Cafayate vs $1,997 in Mar del Plata, rent included.

Cafayate costs about 9% more than Mar del Plata, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Cafayate and Mar del Plata are more affordable than the global median – Cafayate 31% lower, Mar del Plata 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.89 ARS 9,848

$9.39 ARS 13.4K

-26.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.13 ARS 45.9K

$38.16 ARS 54.5K

-15.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 ARS 12.9K

$8.07 ARS 11.5K

11.52%

Cappuccino

$2.79 ARS 3,991

$2.47 ARS 3,529

12.96%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ARS 2,191

$2.17 ARS 3,094

-29.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ARS 1,200

$2.12 ARS 3,033

-60.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 ARS 2,942

$3.28 ARS 4,687

-37.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ARS 4,338

$3.30 ARS 4,721

-7.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 ARS 1,843

$1.06 ARS 1,510

21.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ARS 2,228

$1.43 ARS 2,049

9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 ARS 2,768

$2.16 ARS 3,082

-10.19%

Eggs

$2.18 ARS 3,116

$1.58 ARS 2,261

37.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 ARS 14.6K

$6.84 ARS 9,772

49.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.08 ARS 8,685

$5.35 ARS 7,639

13.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.33 ARS 13.3K

$7.74 ARS 11.1K

20.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 ARS 2,793

$2.76 ARS 3,946

-28.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ARS 2,985

$2.13 ARS 3,036

-1.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ARS 1,896

$1.50 ARS 2,140

-11.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 ARS 3,669

$2.53 ARS 3,618

1.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 ARS 1,634

$1.28 ARS 1,829

-10.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,711

$0.96 ARS 1,370

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ARS 1,813

$0.62 ARS 885

104.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ARS 2,114

$1.21 ARS 1,725

22.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.20 ARS 4,565

$3.49 ARS 4,979

-8.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.41 ARS 7,727

$3.08 ARS 4,399

75.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 ARS 2,965

$1.33 ARS 1,904

56.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ARS 4,503

$1.96 ARS 2,805

60.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ARS 1,174

$0.75 ARS 1,076

9.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.94 ARS 14.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ARS 2,191

$1.46 ARS 2,089

4.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ARS 1,219

$0.74 ARS 1,051

14.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.08 ARS 8,684

$7.84 ARS 11.2K

-22.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ARS 1,508

$1.10 ARS 1,570

-3.64%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.0K ARS 38.6M

$27.3K ARS 38.9M

-0.96%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.9K ARS 44.2M

$39.0K ARS 55.7M

-20.69%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$65.8 ARS 94.0K

$85.4 ARS 122.0K

-22.92%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$16.89 ARS 24.1K

$10.27 ARS 14.7K

64.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.45 ARS 32.1K

$25.40 ARS 36.3K

-11.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.49 ARS 37.8K

$17.28 ARS 24.7K

53.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.69 ARS 19.6K

$7.86 ARS 11.2K

74.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.05 ARS 8,640

$3.98 ARS 5,686

52.01%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$216 ARS 309.2K

$162 ARS 232.1K

33.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,654 ARS 3.8M

$3,242 ARS 4.6M

-18.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ARS 104.5K

$56.5 ARS 80.7K

29.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.7 ARS 99.5K

$62.4 ARS 89.1K

11.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 165.3K

$64.2 ARS 91.7K

80.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ARS 161.9K

$62.9 ARS 89.9K

80.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$339 ARS 484.0K

$285 ARS 406.9K

18.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ARS 342.5K

$206 ARS 294.8K

16.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$669 ARS 955.1K

$718 ARS 1.0M

-6.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 ARS 753.4K

$582 ARS 831.8K

-9.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,837 ARS 2.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$618 ARS 882.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

58.5

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cafayate: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mar del Plata: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $339 in Cafayate versus $285 in Mar del Plata. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Cafayate versus $38.00 in Mar del Plata. Groceries tell a different story – $231 in Cafayate vs $195 in Mar del Plata – so Mar del Plata wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cafayate vs Mar del Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $928 in Cafayate, $855 in Mar del Plata – roughly 9% apart. Cafayate costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,392 per month in Cafayate and $1,282 in Mar del Plata. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mar del Plata, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Cafayate and $38.00 in Mar del Plata. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Cafayate, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $928 in Cafayate and $855 in Mar del Plata, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Mar del Plata – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mar del Plata. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cafayate makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.